1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing apparatus, a processing method, a program for implementing the method, and a storage medium storing the program, and more particularly to a processing apparatus and a processing method for processing data received according to a predetermined protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), a program for implementing the method, and a storage medium storing the program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, local area networks (LANs) in which computers are interconnected have been widespread. Such LANs can be built in a floor, a building, a district and a still larger area, and they can be interconnected and can even be connected to a global-scale network. Each of the interconnected LANs involve a variety of hardware interconnection technologies and network protocols.
Under such LAN environment, not only personal computers (PCs) but also devices or apparatuses (hereinafter referred to as “apparatuses”) such as multi-function apparatuses and printers are compatible to LANs so that they are shared among users within a LAN. These LAN-compatible apparatuses and PCs communicate with one another based on TCP/IP. For example, when these apparatuses print data from a PC or acquire apparatus information from a PC, they communicate with the PC using a printing protocol or a apparatus information acquisition protocol over TCP/IP. This realizes print services and apparatus information acquisition services. Generally, LPD (Line Printer Demon Protocol) is often used as a printing protocol, and SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) as a apparatus information acquisition protocol.
Among such protocols using TCP/IP is HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), which is mainly used by PCs to access the World Wide Web (WWW) to browse web pages on the WWW. Various HTTP-based services are now under way, some of which are print services using HTTP, Web browsing services using SOAP/XML (Simple Object Access Protocol/Extensible Markup Language) communication over HTTP, and interconnecting services supporting access to an Internet server via a proxy server from client PCs in an intranet.
Apparatuses within a LAN environment provide various services to client PCs by utilizing the HTTP server function. In recent years, some services recently provided by the apparatuses include apparatuses information acquisition services transferring apparatuses information on the apparatuses to client PCs via HTTP such that the PCs can acquire the apparatus information through their web browsers, and print services with IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) as a printing protocol using HTTP.
Thus, the HTTP server function available on the apparatus is designed to interpret a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) transferred by HTTP, perform a process corresponding to the URL, and return a response, as disclosed e.g. in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-196995. To acquire apparatus information, a URL “http://172.24.176.100/info” is used, for example, and to perform the IPP Printing function, a URL “http://172.24.176.100/ippprint” is used, for example. That is, the HTTP server function is performed to acquire apparatus information and return a response when the URL is a apparatus information acquisition address. Further, the HTTP server function is performed to print based on IPP and return a response when the URL is for performing an IPP Print service address function.
Thus, in order to implement a variety of applications and services using the HTTP protocol, the HTTP server function available on apparatuses needs to interpret a variety of URLs. To meet this need, the HTTP server function has a database containing URLs and corresponding processes, and perform a process corresponding to any URL specified, by referring to the database.
However, the HTTP server function in the prior art uses a static database which must be updated by e.g. reconstructing the database whenever a new protocol or service using HTTP is added to the LAN environment. Moreover, to enable the updated database, the HTTP server function must be re-built, or the apparatus must be restarted. Thus, when a new HTTP-based protocol or service is added to the LAN environment, these operations consume much time and labor and hence the new HTTP-based protocol and services cannot be provided instantly.